I purchased my first tent about a year ago. I was contemplating a cross-country expedition from Alabama to Portland, Oregon, where I have some friends. Due to the uncertain nature of my house sale in Alabama, the trip never became a reality.

I hung on to the tent, and set it up in my backyard last summer, while I was doing my 30-day "No Internet, TV, radio, alcohol, or meat" challenge. I wrote about the experience in Follow the White Rabbit , which you should have already purchased and read by now. =]

Anyhow, I recently enjoyed a nomadic adventure down south to Alabama, and back up the east coast. I decided to upgrade from my small, two-person tent — to a roomier four person tent.



The tent pictured above cost $30 from my local Walmart. As you can see in the picture below, it has quite a bit of room inside.



Pictured are two king size pillows, and there's still plenty of room on either side. When trying to determine how much room you'll have, just imagine being on a king-sized bed. If you, your spouse, and two kids can fit comfortably onto a king-sized bed, then you'll probably be okay with the $30 tent from Walmart.

If you're looking for a bit more privacy, you can invest in an additional $20 two-person tent from Walmart — and the kids will probably enjoy having their own "secret fort" — away from mom and dad.

You can also purcahse air mattresses to make your sleeping experience more comfortable.

This week, on my way back from Alabama, I decided to camp at Lake Hartwell on the Georgia/South Carolina border for one night.



The following two nights of my journey, I camped out (with a friend) at Kerr Lake in North Carolina (see photo below).



It was like having our own private island. And best of all, Neo (my Rottweiler) was welcome. We were able to build a campfire each night, and float lazily on our Dollar General innertubes all day long.

The best part about going camping is the price — $20 per night. If you were to take your family to the beach, an oceanfront room would easily cost $200 per night. In addition, your family would likely be distracted by all the things going on in the Matrix (television, laptops, other people, noise, etc.), and you wouldn't be able to experience any quality family time/bonding.

While camping, you can work as a "team" to ensure everybody gets to eat. Send the kids out to gather firewood, while you prepare the grill for dinner. The lack of distractions will lead to more conversation — and lasting memories. There's also time for fishing, hiking, and reading. Best of all, you won't have to leave your dog(s) out of your family vacation. That'll save you an additional $20 per night in bording fees.

Let's recap:

5 nights at the beach can cost upwards of $1,000. If you have to board your dog, that's an additional $100. Going out to eat for every meal can tack on another $500 (for a family of four). Then there's gas, as most people have to travel a significant distance to reach the oceanfront.

Total cost for 5 days at the beach: $1,500 to $2,000.

5 nights at a campground costs about $100. You can bring your dog(s), for no additional charge. When you purchase your own food to grill out, that'll result in significant savings. Gas for travel will be minimal, since there are countless campgrounds nearby — in every city, USA.



As you'll see in my photo above, I was able to build a campfire right on my "beach." I was aslo able to sleep right on the "beach."

You can't do those things at the "real" beach.

And don't worry ladies, campgrounds have facilities for using the restroom, and they have hot water in their shower buildings. These luxuries are included in your $20 per night fee. If it's that big of a deal, you can request a campsite that has electrical outlets, for about $5 more per night.

The stats are in ... if you're looking for the most economical, family-friendly, vacation experience — you might wanna consider going camping. You'll be happy you did.

Get it?

You'll be a Happy Camper.  =)